Leadership, How much I know about it?

As part of my MS Program, yesterday I attended the first class of “Interpersonal and Leadership Skills” course, which runs for next 10 weeks.
It is really fascinating to learn about leadership and thoroughly understand how leaders actually think and lead. I am also super excited to be part of this class which is run by Professor, Dr.Brent French who is also a US Air Force Reserve Colonel.

In this post I wanted to capture my questions and basic understanding of what leadership is. This is not a post that teach about leadership. It is about simply looking in to what I think about leadership and hopefully I will write another post with more clarity on this topic once I complete this course.

I am also very happy for that now I don’t have to think a lot to find topics for my blogging!!! Reading a lot of books for this course and I am sure that will keep me busy for next 3 months.

So,What is leadership?
Do we really need to understand who is a leader and what is leadership?
Why do we care?
Why do we have this much of literature to understand leadership and its various styles?
Does this literature created to create better followers? Some times I think about that seriously!!!
Can we teach leadership to lead people?
What about those Born leaders? Lincoln and Obama were not taught to be leaders? They chose to become leaders? Isn’t it true!
Does circumstances clearly manipulate people whether they can become leaders or not?
Leaders who became leaders as part of a big transformation event are still called leaders or just acted because there is no other way to survive other than leading people?
What level of psychology we need to know to understand a leader and his/her style of leadership?
If we understand can we teach how to be a leader like that? But every person is different and how can we expect one person to follow a certain style?
Can we teach leadership? If yes, how easy it is to teach kids and Adults.
Can we teach adults to become leaders?….
Can we identify Narcissistic leadership easily?
I always think of a leader as someone who has exceptional qualities and skills and is fearless to face the adversities. Does all leaders have these qualities?

A real leader needs to have two qualities, one of the head and the other of the heart – Sensibility and Sensitivity.

Every situation I see either that at home or office need some kind of direction or to be lead by some one. Some times my wife takes the leadership of running the house and I take the leadership of taking care of kids education.
At office I see it as a structured and hierarchical leadership. I see leadership as a quality in person /or group of people who can lead people to achieve a common worthwhile achievable goal in an encouraging and motivating environment.

I believe some people are born leaders. I interacted with some leaders with whom working was a pleasure in a trusted relationship. Again this can be a perception based on my background and how I want to be lead by someone who is a leader. I think it is natural that people look for a leader if they cannot do something that a leader can by gathering a group of people.

Influential leaders show sympathy and care and have a great sense of self respect, self control and responsibility for the growth of their followers. Also it is true that some leaders are only interested to command people for personal satisfaction or other ulterior motives.

Leaders should know what their followers are expecting from them and adjust their path accordingly. And at the same time leaders should be clear in their directions to followers, about what they are thinking and expecting from the group. Followers are not “mind readers”, it is the responsibility of leaders to understand the group pulse and needs of followers and lead them efficiently.

Ethics is part of the leadership role. I don’t think any leader would continue to be a leader without proving to his followers that his intentions are good and live with high moral values.

Learning about leadership probably gives us a chance to understand how this society is working, where we are living or working and adjust ourselves to prepare for the future. It doesn’t matter whether we follow a certain leader or not, we always need to follow a leading principle which morally, ethically makes sense and which works for the betterment of our lives, family and society.